AUTOMOTIVE IndUsTrY In MExIcO Ready to Overtake - ProMéxico

54 Negocios ProMéxico | The Lifestyle Negocios ProMéxico | The Lifestyle 55
“From a very young age I loved music and moving my body, but
when I saw La Sylphide, I realized dance was my passion. When
you are a child you know when you like something, but obviously
you have no notion of what it means to make a professional career
out of it. I was lucky in that my family never pressured me, so ballet
was never a sacrifice, but a pleasure, a way of life, something
natural. Without knowing which path I would finally choose, my
parents always consulted me. One day they asked me: Do you want
to take the admission exam to the National School?”
So, in 1990, Elisa enrolled at the National School of Classical
Dance. Six years later, at sweet 16, she attended the English National
Ballet School in London on a scholarship from INBA and the
National Fund for Culture and the Arts (FONCA).
Elisa vaguely remembers feeling afraid when she arrived in
England. Mexico is not a country with a massive culture of classical
ballet and she assumed she would be at a disadvantage. The
sensation lasted no more than a few hours.
“From the very beginning, I realized I had excellent teachers at
the National School of Classical Dance and that, compared to my
classmates from other countries, I had come to London well prepared
in stage performance,” recalls Elisa.“Mexicans are talented
in the arts, including classical ballet,” she says, adding that, on her
travels, she has met Mexicans who have forged successful careers in
different professions and areas.
Which brings us to another thing Elisa misses. “Generally
speaking, [Mexicans] are hard-working and always in a
good mood. You can talk to people in the street as soon as you
walk out your door.” Her Mexican personality traits were one
of the things that captivated Europeans. “They like that my
personality, my hair and skin are all different,” she stated a few
months ago in interview with the Mexican daily El Universal.
There is no doubt in Elisa Carrillo’s mind that she will
continue to jeté to new heights in her career. This May, she
performed one of her favorite ballets, Romeo and Juliet. But
beyond that she is not sure what her plans are. She estimates
she has some 10 years left as a classical ballet dancer and, for
the time being, her home is Berlin and the world her stage,
although she admits she would like to return to Mexico some
day to pass on what she has learned to new generations.
That said, the prima ballerina of the Berlin State Opera
Ballet comes home every year to take part in dance festivals,
visit her parents and her two brothers and receive accolades.
When asked if she represents Mexico, she replies, “Of
course. I represent Mexico and Germany, too, because I am
Mexican, but I work in Berlin. Every time I get on stage I am
representing both countries, but truth be told, when people
ask, it is nice to be able to say, ‘Yes, I am Mexican’.” n